Vladimir Medinsky represents Putin at Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul

The direct talks between Russia and Ukraine will take place in Turkey’s Istanbul, but Vladimir Putin will not be present, as the Kremlin has decided.

According to the directive made public by the Kremlin, Vladimir Medinsky will be carrying out the president’s part in the meetings with Ukraine. Medinsky will also have Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, and Igor Kostyukov, the head of Russia’s military intelligence agency, by his side.

The directive from the Kremlin has Medinsky standing in for Putin at the talks underway in Turkey's Istanbul. During the last two years, Medinsky was picking up negotiations on Russia’s behalf, since the country is in war with Ukraine. Those talks he managed in 2022 concluded with nothing being agreed upon by the two nations.

In addition, the group of advisers sent by the Kremlin will join these talks, with people coming from the foreign ministry, the defense ministry, or the Presidential administration. The group will comprise top officials from the ministry of foreign affairs, the ministry of defense, or the current Presidential administration of Vladimir Putin. The directive did not specify that Vladimir Putin would be in attendance at the negotiation meeting.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that a positive outcome from these Istanbul talks will depend on Putin taking part in them, according to The Moscow Times’ coverage. According to Zelensky, if Putin joins the leaders in Istanbul, it would mean Moscow is open to earnest negotiation, but he is not interested in speaking about the crisis with others. Reuters also reported that it is possible Donald Trump will not be at the meeting in Istanbul. Not long after the Kremlin listed its delegates, it was found that Putin was not going to attend the negotiation meeting in Istanbul.